Games We Play: A sports blog for girls

Not to harp, because I like Victor Cruz, but...

2012-02-10T11:17:00.001-05:00

...on the MSNBC.com sports page here, Victor Cruz, who had a beyond amazing year with the New York Giants and made a whole fanbase, including this fan girl, fall in love with him and his salsa-dancing and game-winning receiving ways, talks about how he deserves a raise. I totally get that. He was paid what he was deemed worth at the start of the season and he's proven that if he keeps up this performance, he should be along side the guys in the big leagues who get paid big-league salaries.

But you know what? I don't get paid what I'm worth either. Neither do a lot of Americans. Most of us *deserve* to make more. Welcome to the imperfect world! And forget about those who don't get paid at all because they can't find jobs. So, while I agree that he should get paid at least the same amount as the guys he's, in a lot of cases, out-performing who make way more than him, it's kind of in poor taste to complain about what he DID make, when it's more than 10 times the amount I got paid this past year, and 4 times the amount my "rich" friends make annually.

I like you, Victor Cruz, I know you're young and still learning the ropes of being a sports mega-superstar, and I like that you're standing up for yourself, because you can't let the powers-that-be take advantage of you, BUT please don't let this new fame go to your head. It's unlikeable when people who make a ton of money complain that they don't make enough money AND it makes them unrelatable...and I want to still like you! Yours is the jersey I'm considering buying next...don't make me regret that!

Fan girl, out... :)

Rant of the day: the Yankees are at it again...and not in a good way

2012-02-08T15:21:00.002-05:00

I read an article at Newsday.com today that the New York Yankees are looking for a hitter, preferably a leftie, and their top candidates are, drumroll please...Raul Ibanez, Hideki Matsui, and Johnny Damon.

Wtf?

Raul Ibanez is 39 years old. Hideki Matsui will be 38 this year. Johnny Damon just turned 38 a few months ago. Now, in Real Life, 38-39 is nothing to look twice at. It's not old. In fact, many 38-39 year old men still act like children. Just ask my almost-41-year-old boyfriend, who constantly makes me feel like I'm babysitting a 12-year-old. But in The Sports World? 38 years old is ANCIENT....why why WHY WHY do the Yankees insist on doing this and pissing me off in the process? Why do they think that spending their money on an aging, fading former superstar for one or two years is a better investment than scouting and cultivating young talent via the homegrown farm system, which could reap young up-and-coming future superstars??? Where do they think the likes of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera came from? Yes, it takes time, but if you get another Mo out of it, isn't it worth it?

I had started to think the Yankees were changing their thought process on this when they were patient with a young, unseasoned, immature Robinson Cano, who - guess what! - is turning out to be a phenomenal YOUNG player, but I guess my elation was premature. And maybe I'm wrong, but weren't both Matsui and Damon ALREADY on the Yankees and let go because they were getting too old and slow and losing power in their bats and their throwing arms? Am I wrong? Did I hallucinate that?

I wish they would realize the worth in investing in players like Cano and Nick Swisher and even Mark Texeira, who is still in his early 30s. Nobody wants to see a team of old men get their butts kicked on the field by teams that realize the importance of giving young players - the FUTURE of baseball - a shot.

::Sigh::

I love them, I bleed pinstripes, I really do, but they really make it very difficult for me sometimes to stand by my fandom.

Here endeth the rant. Fan girl, out.

From Zap2It.com: CBS Sports Fantasy Baseball Boyfriend: To simplify things for girls - Pop2it - Zap2it

2012-02-07T15:51:00.000-05:00

You go, girl! Andrea Reiher stands up for female sports fans everywhere...and just as a personal note, Joe Mauer IS my fantasy baseball boyfriend, but when I play in a fantasy baseball league, I'm choosing him - just like I choose all my other players - because he rocks the game, not because I think he's cute. Read more about it here:

CBS Sports Fantasy Baseball Boyfriend: To simplify things for girls - Pop2it - Zap2it

My two cents on Gisele Bundchen's two cents...

2012-02-07T14:46:00.003-05:00

So, I'm a little late to the game when it comes to the comments Gisele made following the Pats' Super Bowl loss blaming the New England receivers, but it's everywhere...EVERYONE is talking about it. And since I'm a girl which means I must love tabloid fodder and love to gossip, here's my two cents...

I am not a Tom Brady fan...but I'm also not a Gisele fan. I think she is a large reason that people don't like Brady, that they find him unrelatable. And - shocker - I'm about to say something nice about Tom Brady; I think Gisele could take a page out of her husband's playbook when it comes to being gracious about losing and not throwing anyone under the bus. It doesn't do anybody any good to lay blame to the media and to the public, and while Gisele was not giving an interview, she was in a public place surrounded by, well, the public.

I liked very much what Herm Edwards said on Sports Center yesterday when he was asked about whether or not Gisele was right in what she said - he noted that emotions run high after a game, and negative emotions run extremely high after such a devastating loss. Edwards noted that Gisele was venting, which is fair enough, but when he was coaching and his teams lost, he would meet with his wife privately and allow her to vent for five minutes, which made her feel better and better able to be stoic and more importantly, QUIET, in public afterward, whether giving an interview or not. I thought that was a smart and understanding solution to that kind of scenario. Gisele's behavior just made her - and by association, her husband, who defended Wes Welker like a good teammate and captain should while at the podium - look like a sore loser and it made her look classless.

Here endeth the rant.

The calm after the storm

2012-02-07T13:13:00.001-05:00

If Tuesdays weren't deadline day at work and super busy as a result, this fan girl would've been up at the crack of dawn to see the Giants' championship parade in New York City this morning. I have fond memories of attending the New York Yankees parade in 2009 with my brother, almost being crushed by a wave of rabid fans. Of course, this is my favorite photo of that day:

Nick Swisher greets Yankees fans at the championship parade in 2009.

It's just so apparent how excited Nick Swisher is to be there with his fans. His love of the game and of the fans is contagious. I could get used to this championship parade thing happening every few years. I am resolved to go to the next one, which hopefully won't be too far off!

Anywho...football season is officially over. Baseball doesn't start until the spring. And so begins the sports lull in my life, the void I have to try to fill every single year. Sometimes I have a winter Olympics to watch. Sometimes I give the Knicks a go. I tried college basketball for awhile. I still don't understand hockey. So I hope the Giants are enjoying the celebration of their victory today, and until MLB's opening day 2012, I am open to suggestions on how to get my sports fix until then!

New York Giants, Super Bowl champs!

2012-02-06T16:55:00.003-05:00

There's no need for me to rehash all the ins and outs of last night's game. Sports Illustrated's website provides some great analysis and commentary if you're online, and ESPN is talking it to death if you're watching tv. All I will say is that I love my team, I love that they wanted to win, and I kinda love that it was the Patriots that they stuck it to. I will proudly rock both my Eli Manning jerseys for many years to come. I think this picture, from the New York Post homepage, says it all:

In honor of the Super Bowl: Tim Gorry makes a touchdown

2012-02-05T16:27:00.000-05:00

My dad loves football. He played football in high school for Chaminade High School in Mineola and in college for St. John's University. He's an avid Jets fan and passed that love of his team down to my brother, Denis. I'm more of a Giants fan, but I think I've started to inherit that love of the sport and I know that when we're watching a team together, I can always depend on my dad to explain things to me and answer all my questions. This is a newspaper article from 1970, I think, my dad's senior year of high school, in which he made a defensive touchdown. Go, Dad! And go Giants! :)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers named MVP - NFL - SI.com

2012-02-05T12:52:00.000-05:00

Good for Aaron Rodgers. I was semi-rooting for the Green Bay Packers solely because I like Rodgers. When they met the Giants in the playoffs, I had to go with my home team but I felt bad that Rodgers had such an unbelievable season that would end prematurely and disappointingly for him. I'm not a cheesehead, but I like Rodgers. Unlike Tom Brady, he seems personable and friendly and down-to-earth. He's very likeable as well as extremely talented. So while I'm super psyched my Giants are the ones playing in the Super Bowl today and not the Packers, I'm very happy for Rodgers for his deserved MVP win.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers named MVP - NFL - SI.com

Super Bowl Rewind: ways you can tell whether you're at a boys' Super Bowl party or a girls' one

2012-02-05T11:52:00.000-05:00

This was a post I wrote last year at this time, which can be found here.

Just to amend that post, in which I was rooting for the Packers to beat the snot out of the Steelers, I'd just like to say that whether you go to a boy's or a girl's Super Bowl party this year, have a great time! Boo Patriots! Go Giants! :)

The Super Bowl will be on NBC tpnight, Feb. 5, at 6:30 p.m.

Any given Sunday: Super Bowl final thoughts

2012-02-05T11:43:00.003-05:00

I'm going to be too excited, tense, and stressed out later hoping my team, the New York Giants, wants this Super Bowl win more than the New England Patriots. I have a feeling they're going to be pretty evenly matched in that department - the Patriots, especially Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, have something to prove because of 2007. For that alone, they may want it more. But I look at some of the young Giants, like Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre-Paul, who have made such an impression this season and who must be hungry for this final win. I see all the critics saying that as amazing as the Giants have played this postseason, they were only a 9-7 team during the regular season. So, maybe the team, once again, will have something to prove to their detractors, that they belong here. Eli Manning is having a great season. He's finally being talked about as being an elite quarterback. So maybe that will be motivation for him. I don't know. There are so many variables. Gronkowski is looking better but his ankle will still be a variable. Wind is a variable. The crowd is a variable. Anything can happen, which I guess is part of the excitement of the game. As they say, any given Sunday, anything can happen. All I can say with certainty is that this should be a great game between two teams that are going to give it their all. So good luck to all the players, and everyone else, have fun at your parties, with your friends and families, and everyone make it home safe! It's been a fun season - let's all end it on a good note, no matter what happens in today's game!

Super Bowl XLVI Picks, Crystal Ball by SI.com NFL contributors - NFL - SI.com

2012-02-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

This is okay. While a lot of "lay" people see the Giants winning, the fact that the experts are picking the Patriots is actually, in my humble opinion, a good thing. I think the Giants do better when they are viewed as and feel like the underdogs, when they feel like people are rooting against them, when they feel like people are underestimating them and not giving them any credit. As long as people are still picking the Patriots to win, I feel good about the Giants chances. Weird, right? Women don't rely on logic. Not even women sports fan.

Super Bowl XLVI Picks, Crystal Ball by SI.com NFL contributors - NFL - SI.com

If you're going to the Super Bowl AND you're a fan of Cougar Town, keep reading!

2012-02-02T20:22:00.004-05:00

Ok, if you don't watch this show, you should. Guy or girl, there's humor for everyone! And I'm just doing my part to help promote it as much as one person can. Soooo...if you're a rabid football fan who will be at the Super Bowl AND you want to do me a favor and help keep my show on the air, read here.

Nick Swisher and Joanna Garcia: too cute for words

2012-02-02T17:38:00.002-05:00

So we're going to take a break from football talk today to mention how I am right at this moment catching up on Royal Pains, one of my guilty pleasure tv shows (and boy, do I have a lot of them!) Joanna Garcia is guess starring in this episode from last night - she is just too adorable. I hated her in Reba but I've liked her in just about everything else she's ever done. Which is why I was totally on board when she and New York Yankee Nick Swisher (one of my favorites for just being so obvious that he loves the sport he plays and he loves the fans he plays for) not only started dating, but a little over a year ago got married. I didn't even notice her names in the credits, but as soon as I saw her on screen, I realized I HAD seen her name in the credits but that it had an extra word in it - apparently, now she's going professionally by the name Joanna Garcia Swisher. How cute is that? Guys may think us girls can be catty about other girls, especially when said females are dating athletes we're crushing on, but when you like the player AND you like the woman, you just can't help but be happy for them. I hope those two make it!

Here endeth our football break. :)

Super Bowl dilemma of the day: what jersey?

2012-01-27T15:16:00.002-05:00

The Super Bowl is a little more than a week away. I don't know if it's the same for guys, but for girls, now we're getting into crunch time for what is quite possibly the most important aspect of the Super Bowl, whether we're watching at home or out at a party: what jersey do we wear?

This is a more easily resolved issue when you're just watching for kicks, but when your team is playing, you want to not only represent, but represent well.

I already own three jerseys, all of them Manning, two of which are in the running for this year's game (rocked my Peyton Manning jersey the year the Colts lost to the Saints :(...boo) - a powder blue sparkly #10 and a Super Bowl XLII Eli Manning jersey. There are no cute women's jerseys available this year, which is making me lean toward just wearing one of the ones I already own (plus, superstitious fan girl that I am, they've helped carry the Giants successfully this far so far).

But then there's the whole falling in love with Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre-Paul this season that makes me want to represent them - and there are two versions of the Super Bowl XLVI men's jerseys that I kinda like. But I get cold feet whenever I think about buying a jersey for a player other than an established quarterback, because what if next year Cruz or JPP are playing for another team? And what if the Giants (god forbid) lose the Super Bowl (no jinx!) - would I want to be reminded of that every time I wear it should I end up buying a new Super Bowl jersey? And do I want to ruin what is so far a perfect Manning jersey purchase streak?

So guys, while this week you're deciding whose party to attend and what beer to bring and whether or not you actually want to bring your girlfriend/wife with you because all she wants to do is watch the commercials and ask questions during the game, THIS is what I will be stressing about.

Yes, I'm a little insane...go Giants!!

Out of the mouths of babes...

2012-01-27T11:23:00.001-05:00

...for those of us who might take our sports fandom a little too seriously, you should read this. Made me cry. That's what us girls do, even the hardcore sports fans amongst us.

If you're looking for a humorous yet insightful Super Bowl article...

2012-01-25T16:11:00.001-05:00

...I recommend reading NBC Sport's Michael Ventre's analysis of the Giants and Patriots and Super Bowl hype here. It definitely made me chuckle. If you're not a fan of New York or New England or even football, it'll still make you laugh, and if you are a fanatic like myself who is devouring analysis and opinions and already about ready to collapse under the weight of the pressure and hype, then you DEFINITELY need a good laugh.

New York Giants rant of the day

2012-01-25T11:38:00.001-05:00

...what I want to know is, why does the official online store of the New York Giants not sell jerseys for women? Their categories are: men, kids, authentic, customized, replica, premier, and on sale. WTF? Hellooo! What about me?

I would also like to know why Dick's Sporting Goods and Modell's don't offer a Victor Cruz or Jason Pierre-Paul jersey OR anything with sparkles, but looking on the Giants' website for a cool Super Bowl jersey to wear for the Super Bowl and finding NADA is what really ticked me off today.

Jorge Posada retires

2012-01-24T11:54:00.001-05:00

You can read details about Posada's career as a New York Yankee and contributions to pro baseball here, but even though I was never a huge Posada fan, his retirement announcement makes me feel nostalgic. With him hanging up his cleats, half the Core Four is now gone. That makes me feel old, when I think that I was in college watching them lead the Yanks to four World Series wins between 1996-2000. It makes me miss those years when it was just a given that the Yankees were that good, that the World Series was a foregone conclusion. When I was away at college, Posada was part of a team that when I watched them play, I felt close to my family and friends at home. He was part of the continuity between that team and the championship team of 2009, when some of that magic returned.

Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are still here (Andy Pettitte was the first to retire) but for how much longer? These are the players I have an emotional attachment to - will I still love this team when all the Core Four are gone? But that's the way life goes - it's time to let some other players step into those shoes. It's time to give the new guard a chance to show that somewhere down the road, they might be superstars, they might be able to bring the magic. Part of my frustration with the Yankees is the insistence on keeping and/or acquiring expensive, old, fading superstars, and so I commend Posada for bowing out gracefully and graciously. We have promising catchers on the team that deserve the chance to prove themselves. So a moment like this makes me sad for the past, but at the same time, it makes me hopeful for the future.

Oh my heart: Giants-Patriots Super Bowl redux

2012-01-23T11:10:00.001-05:00

Oh my heart. That's what this fan girl kept saying during what was an extremely tense but eventually awesomely exciting game in which the New York Giants beat the 49ers to make it to this year's Super Bowl. A game like that is the kind of game you want to watch, the kind of game that has you on the edge of your seat, that has twists and turns and lead changes and turnovers and teams capitalizing on mistakes and amazing catches and passes and runs. The only thing is, it's an objectively great game, but as a fan, it's only a great game if your team wins. And there's no way to know ahead of time, hence my heart worries throughout the game. The boyfriend and I were watching at a bar, a sea of Giants jerseys, with friends. The place was so loud you would've thought we were actually in the football stadium. It was so much so that I finally had to just close my eyes, take a deep breath, trust in my team, in Eli Manning and friends, and leave it up to the football gods. When Lawrence Tynes got that field goal in overtime, pandemonium ensued. You have to watch a game like that with friends or at a bar. Even if you're not into football, if you're in that social setting, you'll get into football, I promise you. Even if it's just for those three hours.

So now it's on to Indianapolis in two weeks for a rematch with the New England Robots, er, Patriots. In 2007, the Little Team That Could i.e. the Giants won the Super Bowl against the until then undefeated Patriots. To call it an upset would be an understatement. To call it quite possibly the most exciting game of football (or any sport) I have ever watched in my entire life would also be an understatement. If you don't know why, if you've never seen Eli escape a sack attempt followed by David Tyree's catch, you have to watch this:

These are the same teams from four years ago but they're not the same teams. This time around, the Giants know they can beat the Patriots. The Patriots know the Giants can beat the Patriots. But the Patriots are looking better than any other team the Giants have faced in the past few weeks, so all I can say is, I think it's going to be a good game. I trust in my team. Let's show New England how we get it done in New York!

My reaction in the final moments of the New England Patriots v. Baltimore Ravens game

2012-01-22T19:39:00.001-05:00

I have so much to say about how much the Ravens proved they could, in theory, hang with the Patriots; in that second half, I really thought they might actually have a chance to beat those robotic, well-oiled Patriot machines...but on their final field goal attempt to tie up the team, this is exactly my reaction...

No joke. For this sports fan, the Ravens tie-making missed field goal = Edvard Munch's "The Scream."

Who wants it more: New York Giants victory over Aaron Rodgers

2012-01-16T21:58:00.001-05:00

I'm sure it's all been said at this point about the 9-7 New York Giants beating the snot out of the number one seed Green Bay Packers. I did realizing watching this game that I hadn't really seen the Packers play all that much this season and that in this game, Aaron Rodgers, though he was obviously off his game, still looked amazing while the rest of his team just looked...well, ordinary. I guess sometimes one player can elevate a whole team. Makes the Colts collapse sans Peyton Manning make a bit more sense. But there's something wrong when a quarterback, in a pass play, has no choice but to run the ball himself. Whereas Eli Manning had his choice of receivers, guys he trusted to get that ball even in a crowd of Packers players. I won't call the final first half play a Hail Mary pass because I think it takes credit away from Eli and Hakeem Nicks, that the play was a desperate attempt on a wing and a prayer - I think it was a risky, gutsy play that could have ended badly except that Eli trusted his man down field to catch the ball. And he did.Big risks bring big rewards.The Giants are finally, FINALLY, playing like a team that deserves to be in the playoffs, that deserves to beat top tier teams, that deserves to make it to the championship. You can't win a playoff game looking the way the Packers looked Sunday. You have to keep your head in the game and keep bringing it even when you make mistakes (like Eli's interception), even when calls don't go your way when maybe they should have (don't even get me started), and you have to capitolize on a team that's having an off day.Next up, the 49ers. I don't know anything about this team except what I saw this weekend. I don't know what they're known for, what they're good at, or any of their players. But if the Giants can keep their game face on, we're looking at a rematch of either their 2000 Super Bowl loss against the Ravens or of their 2007 Super Bowl victory over the Patriots. But I don't want to jinx it. You have to take it one week at a time. Four weeks ago I wasn't sure we'd be at this place, but I'm gladly going along for the ride......go Big Blue!!

Watching football like a girl

2012-01-16T21:48:00.001-05:00

For someone who is a girl, I was starting to think I was learning to watch the game like a dude - knowing players, knowing stats, knowing jersey numbers and what plays are called. I was super excited during the Ravens-Texans game because for the first time ever, when the defense showed blitz, I actually saw it! Everyone was lined up right on the line and I saw it, I KNEW, the blitz was coming. Yes - I was going to be unofficially declared a bro!And then my actual bro brought me back down to reality with one innocent statement by this fan girl: "I don't like the way the numbers are printed on the Ravens' jerseys." I don't. It's too stylized. It looks like something out of a comic book. But my brother just smiled and shook his head. "You're such a girl," he said. "You totally watch football like a girl."I made it worse at half time when I said I like to judge the commentators' ties. Another smile and shook head.But you know what? That's okay. Because I am a girl. I like that I can see the defense show blitz and that I know stats and players but I also like that I don't like Tom Brady and I don't necessarily have a concrete reason why besides the fact that he's a smarmy robot. I like that I don't like the Titans' team colors and that I didn't like Michael Strahan's tie during the half time show. I'm a girl. That's who I am. But this girl is also a sports fan, and that's just who I am, too.:-)

Reality vs. delusions

2012-01-14T23:44:00.003-05:00

Anybody who knows me know I hate to give the New England Patriots credit for anything but the fact of the matter is that the Denver Broncos were out of their league from the very beginning. The fact that they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last week to make it this far was a sports miracle for sure, but it looks like maybe God is a Patriots fan after all.I guess the Broncos were kind of like the little engine that could...up to a point. Even the little engine that could would break down faced against Stonewall Brady and the brickwall that is the Patriots. The Broncos have the potential. Tim Tebow is young and unseasoned. But the Patriots have experience. And a whole slew of good players who know their way around a playoff game.The Broncos-Patriots game was the one I was most looking forward to but it was over by halftime - New Orleans-49ers was where it was at. I'm no New Orleans fan either - I was totally rooting for Peyton Manning and the Colts the year those two teams met in the Super Bowl but the Saints were looking like a real contender by the end of the year. The truth is, though, I don't know the 49ers - I don't know a single player or a single thing about them, so for all I know, they were the better team all along, but I wanted them to win anyway. I hate jumping on bandwagons and I know a lot of people who jumped on the Saints' bandwagon after their Super Bowl win. But the fourth quarter of that game was the kind of quarter you hope to have throughout an entire game in the playoffs - the kind of back and forth nailbiter with multiple lead-changes that keeps the viewer on the edge of her seat through the whole thing. Granted, if the team you're rooting for loses this kind of match-up, then it sucks, but if the team you're rooting for actually pulls off the win, then this is the kind of game you can go back to and watch over and over again all the time. (Case in point, I have the New York Giants' entire 2007 postseason on DVD).So now I don't know what to expect from the game I'm most invested in, tomorrow's New York Giants - Green Bay Packers match up. The Patriots were expected to win and they did, but the Saints were expected to win and they didn't. I'm hoping I'm not delusional in thinking the Giants might actually have a chance against the Packers. I know the Packers are favored to win and as someone who has been rooting for Aaron Rodgers all year whenever he wasn't playing a New York team, I'm finding it hard to root against him tomorrow but I feel like my expectations that the Giants can at least give the Packers a run for their money, if not take advantage of any Packers mistakes or just WANT IT MORe, is grounded at least a little bit in reality, but I guess in less than 17 hours, we'll find out...

As the Denver Broncos are fighting for their lives against the New England Patriots, something to lighten the mood....

2012-01-14T23:09:00.001-05:00

I am not a fan of either team - although I was rooting for Denver since I'm soooo over the Patriots, not that I was ever, um, under them - but I AM a huge David Bowie fan, so for anyone who is getting bored by this match-up that I was so looking forward to before the Patriots completely obliterated the Broncos, enjoy this Jimmy Fallon Tebowie video!

A Giant win...

2012-01-09T11:29:00.001-05:00

...sorry! I couldn't help myself!

So the universe must have seen how good I was going to be about choosing family over football, because our dinner was moved to 5 p.m., which meant the boyfriend and I were able to watch the entire New York Giants game at home. Big Blue got off to a very slow start, causing this fan girl's heart to experience a bit more agita then I would have liked, especially when Eli Manning scored the very first points of the game. For the Falcons. But after that, the Falcons couldn't buy a touchdown or a field goal. The Giants defense was monster. You should have seen the boyfriend hooting and hollering around the apartment like a goofy teenage kid each time the Falcons went for it on 4th and inches and every single time the Giants held them back. But what stood out for me was the fact that Manning used all of his receivers. Nicks, Cruz, Ballard, Manningham were all part of the game and when the quarterback has reliable, varied choices it makes our offense better and the other team's defense have to work all the more harder to figure out who to cover. Everyone stepped up and it showed.

And what do we get as our prize for winning? A trip to Green Bay and a visit to Aaron Rodgers and friends. Soo not cool. This fan girl is not sure her heart can take next week's game. My only hope right now is that this week's game gave the Giants momentum and confidence, and the last time they played the Packers, they were on an 0-4 losing streak and lost by only a field goal. So if they can give the Packers a run for their money when they're sucking, the Giants might actually have a chance when they play well.

On another note, love love LOVE that the Denver Broncos beat Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. The boyfriend's poor brother-in-law is a Broncos fan and had to follow the game updates on his phone during the family dinner. He chose family over football, too, though it should be noted it was under duress. But he'll get a chance to watch his team play the Patriots next week while the Steelers will be sitting at home. Maybe next year, folks!

Go Blue! Giants v. Packers, Sunday 4:30 p.m. EST on Fox

A sports fan's dilemma: your team versus your life

2012-01-07T14:54:00.000-05:00

The boyfriend's family wants to go to dinner Sunday evening. They were very nice to invite me and of course I accepted. But my first thought upon receiving the invitation was, "They obviously aren't football fans."

Dinner is at 4 p.m. in Manhattan. The New York Giants play at 1 p.m. What that means is I can watch the first part of the game. I can listen to the middle of it on the radio in the car. But unless the restaurant has televisions playing the game, I'm going to miss the end. Which is going to suck. Even though I said I'd go, I'm feeling very conflicted about it. I have a sports fan's heart. If the Giants win, I'll have another chance to watch them play next week, but if they lose, their season is over, and a sports fan wants to be with her team until the very end, even if it's a bitter, premature one.

The thing is, it's not even a real dilemma. The question is, what's more important? Fandom or family? If I was a guy, I might answer the question differently, but I'm a girl, so of course I'm going to go to dinner with the family. ...with a fully charged phone so I can check on the score. I may be a girl, but I still have a sports fan's heart ;)

Go Big Blue!

Do or die

2012-01-07T14:22:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's a Saturday, but there are NFL playoff games today. In case you were wondering where your boyfriend or husband disappeared to. He's watching football. But don't worry. Saturday games means the season is almost over.

I'm not really invested in either of today's games, but every game now is do or die and we have a couple of recent champions in the mix, including tonight's game with the New Orleans Saints. My best friend totally jumped on the Saints band wagon the year they beat the Colts in the Super Bowl, so she'll be rooting for them today. I'll be interested to see which champions get knocked out and which ones make it to the next round.

Tomorrow is the day I'm excited for. My New York Giants are playing, of course. I'm calm right now because I haven't been thinking about it. Tomorrow is also Steelers v. Broncos. I hate Ben Roethlisberger. For that reason alone I'll be rooting for the Broncos.

But this weekend is where we find out which teams will step up and which teams want it more. Because the winners get one step closer to the Super Bowl, and the losers just go home.

We've got a postseason, baby!

2012-01-02T20:43:00.003-05:00

Wearing the powder blue sparkly Eli Manning New York Giants jersey and the Victoria's Secret Giants underwear apparently paid off big time - Big Blue stepped up, manned up, and acted like a team, and beat the Cowboys for the final postseason NFL slot. I knew if the Giants pulled it together, they could beat the Cowboys. The Cowboys, with Tony Romo as their quarterback, are ordinary. Don't listen to the commentators. The commentators were sooo biased last night I wanted to throw something at the tv screen. I get that the Cowboys used to be great, but realize that time has passed. REALIZE IT!!!

Obviously, I have some issues.

But it doesn't matter, because the Giants will be playing next week. Not the Cowboys. The boyfriend and I had a whole conversation last night brought on by the game about how you can have great players, awesome players, but sometimes those players don't like each other. Off the field, that's fine. That sucks, but that's fine. As long as you can suck it up, step up, and man up on the field. Which is what the Giants did. Which maybe they should have done it before the last game of the season. But I digress. If they can play during the playoffs the way they played against the Cowboys, they can get past the first round. And maybe a little further.

I want to give a special shout out to Victor Cruz. I believe this is his first real, full season and from the very beginning of the season, he has been going all out, giving his all, and people have noticed. He has had an amazing season. Just watch his touchdown run in this past game. I don't know if he'll stay with the Giants, but if he keeps playing as passionately as he did this year, he is going to have an amazing career.

End zone salsa dancing yo!

Giants v. Falcons next Sunday - be there or be square!

End of the road

2012-01-01T18:04:00.000-05:00

For most NFL teams, this week is the end of the road. Unfortunately for my dad and brother and many other male relatives, one of those teams is the New York Jets. The thing is, you can't wait until Week 17 to step up and start playing like a playoff team, and on top of it, if you need to not only win but have three other teams lose in order to even make the playoffs, you can't throw 3 interceptions. I'm looking at you Mark Sanchez.

But us New Yorkers have one more shot. Unlike the Jets, the New York Giants have their destiny in their own hands. All they have to do is beat the Dallas Cowboys tonight. The hated Cowboys. The Giants haven't been playing like a playoff team at all toward the end of this season. I feel like even if they win tonight, they're not going to get far in the playoffs at all. But I'm wearing my Victoria's Secret Giants underwear for good luck. I'm wearing my powder blue sparkly Giants jersey for good luck. I really want to see them crush the Cowboys. I don't like them and I really like having a New York team to root for in the postseason. But if that plan falls through, I'm gonna have to go with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. As I've said before, I'm no cheesehead. But Rodgers, unlike Tom Brady, is very likeable, and he's very talented. Hopefully he won't have to carry his whole team. But we still have a bit of a ways to go. Giants v. Cowboys at 8:20 p.m. EST tonight. Be there or be square!

The hearts of women all over Minnesota shatter into a million tiny shards...as does the heart of one jaded but smitten New Yorker...

2011-12-12T16:22:00.000-05:00

From Zap2it.com:

Joe Mauer engaged to Madeline Bisanz - Pop2it - Zap2it

My (almost) sincere congratulations to the happy couple. Don't tell my real boyfriend (although he IS aware Joe Mauer is my Secret Celebrity Boyfriend) but my stone cold New York heart is just the tiniest bit crushed...

Let's hope this is a sweet beginning to what will be a more awesome baseball season for Mauer next year than this past year...

Talk about a nailbiter - New York Giants v. Dallas Cowboys

2011-12-12T09:48:00.003-05:00

First, can I just say how much I am enjoying watching the Green Bay Packers play this season? I am by no means a Packers fan; I will never wear a wedge of cheese on my head. But I have definitely become an Aaron Rodgers fan, and to watch this team play this season has been so much fun. They're better than a well oiled machine. Watching them play is like listening to a beautiful symphony.

Poetic enough for ya?

Okay, so last week the Giants played the Packers. And after phoning it in for three weeks straight, they finally brought it. They finally looked like they wanted to be on that field. And they still lost. But they made the Packers really work for that win. Still, 4 losses in a row can be totally demoralizing, especially after really giving it your all. Finally. So I was beyond worried about last night's game. I was pumped after a Jets pounding of the Chiefs - that game was so lopsided it actually became boring by the second half. But last night's showdown with the hated Cowboys for first place in the division was pretty much do-or-die for the Giants - if they lost, not only would that be 5 losses in a row, but it would be a loss to Dallas.

I hate Sunday night games, only because they go on too late and I have to work in the morning. But for the first three quarters it looked like I might be able to go to bed early. The Giants looked completely lackluster again - wtf? As my mom always used to say, the team that wants it the most will usually win it and the Cowboys definitely looked like they wanted this win more. The Giants were down by 12 with 5 minutes to go. But, faithful readers, how does the football mantra go? :)

The Giants finally showed up. Again. They pulled out an incredible win that made the Cowboys look beyond foolish. They beat Dallas the SAME EXACT way the Cardinals did last week, with a last minute time-out and a field goal do-over. Tom Coughlin must have been sacrificing virgins on the sidelines to the football gods that this tactic would work two weeks in a row.

And it did.

So we're still in the game. The Giants have to step it up though. The Jets look good. They have momentum. They can feel the playoffs coming. The Giants are gonna have to start looking like they want to be here if they want to not only get to the playoffs but get beyond the first round.

Believing in the football mantra: New York Giants v. New England Patriots

2011-11-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. Several thoughts.

First, thank god for the DVR or I would have missed the end of that game.

Second, I said to my sister at the end of the first half that, with a score of 0-0, this game was too boring to watch. Someone in football heaven must have heard my complaint because the second half really stepped it up.

Third, the reason I needed my DVR to watch the end of this nailbiter was because I failed to heed my own Football Mantra that I give to all my girlfriends - there's still plenty of time on the clock. Last time I said that in a high pressure situation, it was actually also a Giants-Pats game, Super Bowl XLII to be exact. The Patriots took the lead with a little over 2 minutes left in the game and one of my girlfriends lamented, "Well, that's it. The game is over." I think most people know how that story actually ended.

Anyway, on an almost weekly basis, I still have to repeat my mantra to my best friend when her team, the Jets, are down. If there's two minutes left, there's still plenty of time on the clock. Even if there's less than a minute on the clock, there's still plenty of time to get something done.

And yet, for some reason, tonight, with 1:44 to go, with the Giants down and 10 yards to go on the third down, I got up, turned the tv off, and said, "Well, that's it. The game is over." But since I was the one saying it, there was no one around to tell me there was still plenty of time on the clock. Football games can literally come down to the last second. If there is 1 second on the clock and you get a play off, you can still win the game. That's the way the NFL rolls. A team has literally not won or lost a game until that game play clock reads 0:00.

That's the only time I'll let you say "Well, that's it. The game is over." And now I can add myself to the list of women I have to remind.

Giving him da bizness: As if sports weren't confusing enough

2011-10-20T20:33:00.000-04:00

I don't know about for you, but for me, it's hard enough learning the day-to-day penalties from the and even rare ones when I'm watching football on Sundays. But seriously, how am I ever supposed to keep up when now I have to learn penalties that are so obscure that the commentators think it's made up and just sayin' it outloud makes the ref sound like he stepped right outta da hood?? (And for the record, if MY DAD doesn't know that this is real, how am I ever gonna keep up????)

A sports fan dichotomy

2011-10-17T10:47:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, I am just the quintessential sports fan - I was hanging out with the boyfriend and some of his friends over the weekend and we started talking about the baseball playoffs and while his (male) friend watched, the boyfriend and I got into an excited, animated discussion about teams, players, stats, et cetera.

Yesterday, while he and I were cleaning the apartment, we got into an almost philosophical conversation about televised football versus soccer and the role commercial breaks play in not only the game but in our enjoyment of the game.

I can more than hold my own in a sports conversation, is what I'm saying.

But sometimes, I am just the quintessential girl.

When we were watching the New York Giants play the Buffalo Bills yesterday, I had to ask the boyfriend what a "pass interference" penalty meant, and he was good about explaining how a defender can legally or illegally cover the receiver, and even pointed out when it happened again. I also had to ask why some fouls warrant a 10-yard penalty and others put the ball at the site of the foul. I watch this game all the time and I still don't know all those little details. My brain just can't hold onto those tiny facts for some reason. I will probably be asking him to explain it again to me next week.

And the ultimate girl move - we were both hoping there was some way in which the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots could both lose to each other, but whereas his dislike of both teams has more of a rational sports basis, when he asked me why I don't like Tony Romo or Tom Brady, I had to tell him it's basically because I think both guys are douches. Also, Brady looked like a dirty hobo before he cut his hair. I have my sports basis-dislike as well - Romo is (or at least was) overrated and Brady sits on the field and pouts when things don't go his way. I'm a sports fan, definitely, but I'm first and foremost a girl - being a douche is enough of a reason for me to root against you. If some girls root for Brady because he's cute (and he is and they do), then I think it's only fair.

Jets game tonight - after two New York losses last week, hoping for two New York wins this week!

Salvation comes from within...

2011-10-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

This is the top terrible idea of all terrible ideas - I was reading a short story by Drew Silva on MSNBC.com here where he notes that David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox, who is now a free agent, would be open to joining the New York Yankees next year. All I have to say is: no, no, no, no, NO. And not because he's been on the BoSox for years.

The Yankees, over the last 10 years or so, have fallen into the terrible habit of collecting aging, fading former superstars with exhorbitant price tags in an effort to recapture World Series glory. They've traded away young, promising players, stopped nurturing the young guys in their farm system, forgetting that in their 1990s hey day, it was guys like Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada, young guys with the potential to be future superstars, who made it all possible. The Yankees got greedy and decided they needed a championship every year - they couldn't wait to patiently groom young players to take over those important future leadership roles. But I have two words to prove that the system works - Robinson Cano. The Yankees are doing it right with this guy - they waited for him to outgrow his green, lazy, sloppy days, they trained and taught him and pushed him and rewarded him, and now he is a phenomenal player with both talent AND heart, a rarity in the game, especially if you ask my boyfriend, who could be the team's leader in a few years when Jeter and Rivera and Posada are gone. That's the way it should be done. That's what the Yankees should be doing with other players, not just Cano. Ortiz has few good years left, and he's not even as good as he used to be.

Don't be tempted, Brian Cashman - he's not worth the few extra home runs he might get the team. I was watching The Shawshank Redemption last night and there are words of wisdom that apply to this situation perfectly: Salvation comes from within. Fading former superstars, no! Farm system, yes!

Two snaps to women athletes...

2011-10-11T10:25:00.000-04:00

...on a day when all the headlines are about the MLB playoffs and the NBA lockout, the U.S. women's gymnastics team won a world title, taking first place over Russia and China at the world championships in Japan. For most of us, gymnastics is something we only watch and enjoy every four years at the summer Olympics, but these girls and women are training and competing all year round. And as someone who can barely walk across a balance beam without falling off and cracking my skull open and is so claustrophobic I can barely manage a somersault, I'm always amazed at the things these gals can do on the beam and the vault and the parallel and uneven bars and just the flipping and flopping all over the floor. If that's not athleticism, I don't know what is. Congratulations to every one who won and competed, and good luck to Alicia Sacramone in her recovery!

Rant of the day: The NBA lockout

2011-10-11T09:45:00.003-04:00

The latest news from the professional sports world is that the first two weeks of the NBA season have been cancelled due to players and owners being unable to reach an agreement on, what else, money. Luckily for me, I stopped watching basketball years ago after the New York Knicks broke my heart over and over again in the late 1990s. I'm still recovering from that relationship.

The worst part is that whichever side ends up caving or compromising, neither of them really lose. Both the players and owners still end up with money I'll never see in my lifetime. It's everyone else who loses out, everyone else who makes it possible for those players and owners to be as rich as they are in the first place, such as the ushers, security personnel, parking lot attendants, concession workers, and restaurant employees who work in the venues in which these games are played who might end up getting their hours cut or losing their jobs and of course, THE FANS.

To which I say, THANK YOU Knicks of the 1990s for pissing me off so much that I made a clean break from the sport all together - see, there is a silver lining in everything! - and owners and players, get your houses in order. In this economy, with unemployment as high as it is, it is DISGRACEFUL that you can't reach an agreement on the limit to how many millions of dollars y'all can make.

Here endeth the rant.

Looking for the silver lining...

2011-10-07T01:04:00.001-04:00

I listened to the demise of the New York Yankees' season as I was on the phone with my boyfriend, the ultimate fairweather Yankee fan, spoiled by the excess riches of the late 1990s. Openly he talks about the bad trades, the bloated (in salary AND body weight) superstars, the lack of a farm system, the lack of hunger or drive in aging players who have already won it all, but secretly, inside, he's still the 12-year-old boy who is just star-struck by his favorite players and really wants them to win, really really REALLY.

Well, not tonight. Tonight the Yankees couldn't even buy a run - they had to depend on the Tigers to just hand them out - and the boyfriend commented on Robinson Cano being so obviously upset by the loss - Cano IS the future of the Yankees, young and hungry and farm-grown, but unlike Posada and Rivera and Pettitte and Jeter who all came up together in the '90s, Cano is alone in his desire to win it all. At least until the old guard is gone and a new guard, hopefully young guard, comes up.

But both the boyfriend and my father, in expressing their frustration and condolences, respectively, to the Yanks' loss tonight, made me look for the silver lining in this. If the Yankees had won, if they had gotten past the FIRST FRICKING ROUND (sorry - still a little frustrated!) my whole October could've been tied up in the baseball schedule. Depending on how far they got, I would've tried to schedule work assignments and hanging out with friends and alone tv time and going to the bar tv time around when the Yankees were playing. Now, I'm not a slave to the postseason. Now, I can do what I want, when I want, with whomever I want. Now, I am only a slave to the football season schedule. (Don't ask me to do anything or see anybody on a Sunday unless it's FOOTBALL related!)

Ha ha.

On a related football note, my father was asking me today if I had a New York Jets jersey and I said I didn't, and that led into a discussion about which player to get - Ferguson or Revis or Sanchez or whoever. My dad was like, "It doesn't really matter, does it, as long as it's pink?" To which I replied, "It doesn't have to be pink, as long as it has sparkles."

I may love sports, but I'm still a girl, yo.

Yankees RIP

This is how much I love baseball...

2011-10-06T21:05:00.001-04:00

Tonight is a Thursday in October. October means there are new episodes of my television shows airing. Thursday means there are a bajillion shows that I love and watch coming on tonight.

So how much do I love baseball in general and the New York Yankees in particular? Tonight, right now, they are playing Game 5 of a best-of-5 series against the Detroit Tigers. My DVR is working its ass off recording said bajillion shows, none of which I am watching. Because I'm recording so many shows at once, there is no channel free on my TV to watch. So I am sitting here, in my room, in my Yanks sweats, listening to the game on the radio and watching the play-by-play on my computer.

My heart hurts. I can't take this excitement/stress.

But man, do I love it!

C'mon Cano! Go Yanks! :)

Yanks vs. Tigers: coming around again...

2011-10-06T09:49:00.000-04:00

...the adrenaline and stomach butterflies and excitement and dread, that is. As it turns out, the bell tolled only for the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday night - every other team that was in a do-or-die situation came through, except all that did was postpone the whole white-knuckle, nail-biting scenario of your team either going home for the winter or making it to the next round.

I read somewhere online that nowadays the do-or-die, winner-takes-all scenario of actually playing every game in a series has become a rarity in the MLB postseason - I can see that, as it seems teams will usually sweep, or only give up one game. But here we are, with three out of four of the division series going to a fifth game. Talk about exciting!

So tonight I will be watching the New York Yankees play the Detroit Tigers one last time this year. On Wednesday I had on my Yankees sweatpants for good luck and I practically forced my boyfriend to give me control of the remote (yes, that happened, and it was not easy and will probably never happen again) so that I could be sure he didn't keep flipping around to see what else was on during the game. And tonight I'll do it all over again. Except I have to work rihgt up until 8, which is when the game starts, so I will be running home to my sweats. And the boyfriend gets off from baseball duty tonight with me. Sometimes I feel bad for him. But now he knows what it's like to be the girlfriend of a sports-obsessed guy. That sounded weird. But then again, I'm cool enough that I let him take me to Hooters. I don't feel that bad for him.

If the Yankees play tonight the way they did Tuesday, like they really want it, like they're hungry for it, like they're willing to play hard, if every player is willing to fall flat on their faces and skin their knees to catch a ball the way Curtis Granderson did, TWICE, then they can win. Let's just hope the Tigers don't want it more! :)

"The League" takes a long, hard, serious look at fantasy football

2011-10-06T09:38:00.001-04:00

Yeah right.

If you've ever dated or been married to a guy who participates in a fantasy football league, you should watch this show.

If YOU'VE ever want to or have actually participated in a fantasy football league, you should watch this show.

If you have ever met a man and been driven nuts by a man and wish there was something on television that reflected their misplaced passion and focus, their obsessions, their childish behavior and pranks, their some-time stupidity, and their complete arrested development and extended adolescence, you should watch this show.

If you think all that stuff I just listed is only somewhat annoying and actually a little funny, you should watch this show.

If you want to learn about football player names and football teams and football terminology, watch this show. I promise, even as a girl, you will love this show. It's that hilarious AND wise.

Just don't watch it tonight. Watch the Yankee game instead. DVR "The League" and watch it after the game or when there's nothing on TV tomorrow! :)

The third season of "The League" premieres tonight at 10:30 p.m. on FX.

...send not to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee..."

2011-10-04T15:50:00.002-04:00

John Donne probably wasn't talking about baseball when he wrote those words, but they are very apropros in regards to today's MLB playoff games. Three teams are on the brink of elimination, including my beloved New York Yankees - the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks are also in must-win situations. The problem with the 5-game series is the same as what makes it great. You need fewer wins to move on then in the next two rounds, which feature best-of-seven series, but you need fewer losses to get axed. And unfortunately for the Yanks, they have A.J. Burnett pitching tonight. Burnett is a great pitcher. When he's great, that is. You never know which A.J. is going to show up. And double unfortunately, whenever Burnett is on the mound, the Yankee bats seem to always, without fail, fall silent. It's like they forget how to give their pitcher run support. So Burnett could pitch a brilliant game and only give up one or two runs, but the Yankees will still lose because all the Yankee batters forgot how to score or drive in runs. So, tonight is do-or-die. Tonight we find out if our teams want to win as badly as we, just their humble, anonymous fans whose love and devotion (and ticket purchases) allow them to live their lives of fame and fortune, want them to.

Go Yanks!

Sometimes, girls really CAN do everything...

2011-10-04T08:47:00.002-04:00

In the professional world, most of the sports glory goes to men. Diana Nyad has been getting a lot of press lately for her daring and daunting swimming attempts from Cuba to Florida, and rightly so, but most of the sports headlines are dominated by football or baseball or basketball - men's, not women's of course, even though the WBNA is in the middle of their playoffs right now.

Even high school sports are dominated by news about what the men are accomplishing on the football field, the baseball diamond, or the basketball court. So this was a nice little story by Micheline Maynard for The New York Times, picked up by MSNBC.com here about a young woman, Brianna Amat, who has a 4.0 GPA, is involved in her student government, is the kicker on her high school's football team - that's right ladies, you can play whatever sport you want - AND just won homecoming queen.

I hope for the rest of her life that Amat believes she can do or be anything!

Go girls! :)

The ALDS begins tonight but the real dilemma...what to wear while I watch?

2011-09-30T09:51:00.004-04:00

Yes, that's right. In the baseball world today, Terry Francona is supposedly parting ways with the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees have to get out of cruisin' mode and return to fightin' mode against the Detroit Tigers, but my number one concern is that I don't have any cute New York Yankees shirts to wear to support my team tonight.

Welcome to the trials and tribulations of being a female fan.

This is the same dilemma I faced in August when I went to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yanks play the Angels, but the solution to that problem came in the form of a summer shirt, which does me no good in this beautiful fall weather. But last night when I suggested to the boyfriend that we go to a bar to watch the game tonight (yes, it was my suggestion - he had forgotten the playoffs start tonight. I've been known to date some very weird men...), I realized that I have nothing to wear to show off my Yankee pride. The cutest baseball shirt I own is a Joe Mauer one. I hardly think that would go over well with Yankee fans. Or any Tigers fans, either, I suppose. My favorite Yankee t-shirt is one I bought to wear to the 2009 World Series championship parade, but a) I can't find it and b) I don't want to jinx the Yanks by wearing a championship shirt from another year. I'm a sports fan AND Irish - you better believe I'm superstitious like that.

Unfortunately, I'd say the only solution to this most serious problem is to go shopping for something new to wear...life can be so hard sometimes! ::evil smile::

On a serious note, though, tonight is a whole new ballgame, pun intended. The Tigers are no joke, and they can, and have, beat the Yankees, so I hope the team is as ready as I am to get our game on...

Game on!!

Wow! It really ain't over til it's over!!

2011-09-29T08:54:00.001-04:00

As late as 11 pm last night, this is not how I thought the Boston Red Sox-Baltimore Oriole game and Tampa Bay Rays-New York Yankees games would go. Boston had led Baltimore 3-2 for the entire freakin' game. The Yanks were crushing the Rays, 7-0. If I had gone to bed, as my tired, weary soul wanted to, I would have been shocked by what I was reading in the sports section this morning.

But I'm a baseball fan. I know better. There are some games that are just over before the seventh inning stretch, one team is so dominant over the other. But both these games were won at the very last, possible moment. Talk about melo-drama! And because of that, today the Red Sox go home and the Rays get to start preparing for the playoffs. My mom always said she couldn't watch baseball because the games were so boring, and half the time, I'll give her that. But not last night. She would have gone to bed while the Yankees were still up by 7. She would have been missing out...

On a completely unrelated note, I went to Dick's Sporting Goods yesterday to look at Jets jerseys, to see if the actual store, unlike the internet, had more options than just Sanchez, Revis, or Burress. They didn't. And to be honest, I'd be perfectly happy with one of those. I just wish my man D'Brickashaw could get some love!

Congrats to the Rays - and look out Detroit. We're comin' for ya!! :)

Ultra rewind...New York Yankees win 1996 World Series

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Nowadays as Yankee fans, we're used to seeing them in the playoffs every year and even winning a World Series every now and again. In 1996, they hadn't won a World Series since 1978. Joe Torre had just become their manager. And the team's current manager, Joe Girardi, was the Yankees' catcher. I wasn't even watching baseball in 1996, so they must have made some sort of impression on me that I saved this newspaper issue...

From the Oct. 29, 1996 issue of Newsday

Second verse, same as the first...Yankees do it again in 1999

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

From the Oct. 4, 1999 issue of Newsday...the Yankees are on the road to their 25th World Series championship...

And two and half weeks later, they've clinched it. In this Oct. 24, 1999 issue of the New York Post, we see a young Mariano Rivera, who was named MVP of the World Series. Twelve years later, he's LITERALLY the best closer in baseball, EVER...

If you want to support your team but you'd rather do it in pink, October is the month to do it...

2011-09-28T10:56:00.001-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, something every woman (and every man who knows and/or loves a woman) should know. Breast cancer awareness is all about the pink ribbon, so at this time of year, you see a lot of pink everywhere. Including sports gear and team apparel.

It's like my own personal, pink heaven.

Anyway, you're a girl, and you want to support your team by wearing a Mets shirt or a Jets jersey, but you just don't look good in blue or orange or green...well I say, get it in pink. Not only do you should team spirit and pride, but you look cute doing it AND you're probably supporting either the Susan G. Komen foundation or National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Just as a specific shout-out, I went to the Dick's Sporting Goods website just now to try to find a New York Jets jersey to buy (Mark Sanchez? Darrelle Revis? Sporting green? Girly sparkles? Too many choices! And where can I find a D'Brickashaw Ferguson jersey so I can show some hometown pride!) and they're doing a whole "the power of pink" promotion during October. You can find more info here.

And it's not just team apparel - if you play a sport, or you run or bike, or whatever, you can find equipment or accessories or whatnot in pink, too. As I mentioned in another one of my posts, the boyfriend bought me a set of pink (breast cancer awareness) golf clubs for my birthday, which just made me love him all the more.

Obviously, you don't have to wear pink if you're a girl who's into sports - personally, I'm totally into the color, but more importantly, breast cancer awareness is very personal to me and a cause close to my heart. So do you - wear your greens and blues and oranges and reds loud and proud! But if you'd rather do it in pink, this is the month!

If you never watch baseball, today is the day to give in...

2011-09-28T10:23:00.000-04:00

Excitement abounds with wild card ties in both the American League AND the National League. We have four games featuring four teams vying for two final spots in the postseason - in the AL, the Boston Red Sox will battle the Baltimore Orioles to hold on to the wild card lead they let slip through their fingers this entire month, while the Tampa Bay Rays will try to beat the New York Yankees again to snatch the wild card away from Boston, while in the NL, the Atlanta Braves will have to face the Philadelphia Phillies, an NL East powerhouse, while the St. Louis Cardinals will be playing the Houston Astros, a team you'd think would be much easier to beat than the Phillies, but in baseball, you just never know. Sometimes, the Kansas City Royals will slaughter the Yanks. It's just that kind of game.

Now, if by the end of today either of these races is still a tie, I believe what happens is a one-game playoff. That's what happened in 2009 when the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins ended up in a tie at the end of the regular season, although that was for the AL Central, not the wild card - the Twins ended up winning. It also happened the year before, again with the Twins but against the Chicago White Sox, with Chicago coming out on top that year.

Speaking of the Twins, I've missed Joe Mauer this year; it's too bad they sucked so hard and he had so many health issues. But I'm happy to see that Head & Shoulders shampoo has used Mauer in at least one other commercial besides the one with Troy Polamalu. Mauer is just so adorable. I just want to eat him up with a spoon. Or stick him in my pocket and carry him around with me. I've said it before but I'll say it again - ladies, if you need a reason to watch baseball, Joe Mauer is it.

Since it's almost October, we'll do yet another post about the 1998 Yankees - championship parade edition :)

2011-09-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

From the Oct. 24, 1998 issue of Newsday. Yankees pictured are David Cone, Joe Girardi, David Wells, Hideki Irabu, and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez.

And just because Derek Jeter is so young and cute and excitable in this picture, from USA Today's Baseball Weekly, the week of Oct. 21-27, 1998. Do you think he gets this excited about baseball anymore? I hope so...

Fighting for their lives...AL wild card race continues

2011-09-27T19:59:00.002-04:00

I'm not watching either game, but I have MLB.com up on my computer so I can keep checking the scores, and both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox are really fighting for their lives. Boston is in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles, up 2-1. The Rays are also in the third inning against my New York Yankees, also up 2-1. This has got to be hell on the players and definitely on their fans, but as a sports aficionado, it's awesome to see two teams who really want that spot that badly. Nothing is more irritating than when the fans want the win more than the team does.

Speaking of giving it your all, I read a headline on, I think CNN.com, today and the author posited that maybe the Yankees wouldn't try in order to allow the Rays to win and to stick it to the Sox. To be honest, I don't see them doing it. I see them maybe not doing as well because they're giving the guys who have just been called up from the minors a chance to show their stuff, but competitors are by nature competitive. And it really doesn't matter who ends up making it to the postseason with the Yankees - whoever it is is still one more team in the way to winning the World Series (see how positive I can be? I just hope I didn't just jinx it...oy!)

Anyway, to all you Boston and Tampa Bay fans out there...I know this is a real nailbiter but if your team fights hard, even if they lose, you can be proud. Good luck to you both! (Yes, even Boston fans...I'm feeling magnanimous tonight!) :)

And...there it is: Super Bowl 2014 host committee logo ACTUALLY revealed

2011-09-27T12:52:00.001-04:00

Personally, I like it. I like the symmetry, I like the colors (since blue and green reflect the colors of both the New York Jets and the New York Giants), I really like the snowflake. I do NOT like New Jersey getting equal credit for our New York football teams but whatever.

Just to clarify, though, as I wrote in the headline, this is only the host committee logo, whatever that means. No wonder nobody said that in the initial articles that came out today - who cares about a host committee logo? It is pretty though. As an artist, a New Yorker, and a girl, I can appreciate that. The official Super Bowl 2014 logo will be revealed at a later date.

Rant of the Day: Super Bowl 2014 logo unveiled

2011-09-27T10:51:00.003-04:00

The logo and ad campaign for Super Bowl 2014 was apparently unveiled today, and while every news story covering it talks about how there is a snowflake involved in the design (since the game will be played in an open-air stadium in the middle of winter) as well as the George Washington Bridge connecting New York and New Jersey...which I will get to in a minute. First...don't tell me what the logo looks like. Show me! Come on!

Second, the logo featuring the GW Bridge is appropriate, since the football stadium in which the NEW YORK Giants and NEW YORK Jets play is, logically, in...NEW JERSEY. Why? How does that make any sense? How come it can take my friend Suzy, who lives in Jersey, five minutes to get to the Meadowlands but it takes me, a New Yorker, at least an hour? And sometimes more, depending on traffic. And there's always traffic. I get that maybe there's not enough room in Manhattan for a stadium. Or even in Brooklyn or Queens. But how about Westchester? For us downstaters that's borderline upstate and also kind of far and close to also not being a part of (metro) New York (I know, we're weird), but at least it would be in-state. This has always driven me nuts. And thank you, 2014 Super Bowl logo that I have not even yet seen, for bringing up the crazy once again this fine Tuesday morning!

Yankees want to keep Brian Cashman as GM

2011-09-27T10:35:00.001-04:00

A fan of the New York Yankees since 1998, players I have grown up with since those days, such as Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera ARE the Yankees to me...but I also lump Brian Cashman, general manager of the Yanks since that very same year, into that group, just the behind-the-scenes version of that iconic group. Have I always agreed with his player trades and decisions? Heck no. Sometimes I wanted to throttle him. But I always got the impression that he wasn't afraid to stand up to George Steinbrenner, which I totally respect, and you have to give him some credit for continuing to put together the pieces of a team that made it to the post season 12 of the 13 years he's been here. Anyway, his contract expires this year, and according to an article in Newsday here, the Yankees want him back. Sounds good to me. And as a behind-the-scenes player, his baseball career has the potential to be much longer than Posada's or Jeter's or even Rivera's...

On a side note, I'm glad for Cashman's success with the Yankees as he is a fellow alum of my college, The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. ... although he graduated 12 years before I did. But I was going to school at CUA when I fell in love with the Yankees...the same year Cashman became their GM! Coincidence? Probably. But I used to look up famous Catholic alum yearbook photos when I was working on the school newspaper, and Cashman was one of them. Now I'm getting ready to attend my 10-year college reunion in a few weeks, and Cashman is still there. I'm a fan of continuity. I might not always agree with his moves, but I hope he sticks around.

The road to victory, World Series 1998 from another perspective

2011-09-27T02:00:00.000-04:00

Since I was living in Washington, DC at the time, it was fun to see how that city covered the Yankees' World Series win that year (I always like to look at wins and losses from other cities' perspectives - I usually find their local newspapers online). Anyway, not as much coverage, but it was still a big deal...

From the Oct. 22, 1998 issue of The Washington Post

From the Oct. 22, 1998 issue of The Washington Times

Again, the Oct. 22, 1998 Washington Post

Cowboys vs. Indians...er, Redskins: Monday Night Football y'all!

2011-09-26T23:30:00.000-04:00

It's like we're in the Wild West tonight, folks!

As a fan of all teams New York, I can not in good conscious ever root for the Dallas Cowboys. I think it could quite possibly lead to the revocation of my New Yorker card. And I used to live in Washington, DC for awhile, so since I feel an affinity for any team I can find a connection to, as tenuous as that connection might be, I'm rooting for the Redskins to hold on and pull through tonight, even though I couldn't tell you a single player on Washington's team...except for Rex Grossman. And I only know that cuz I looked the game up on NFL.com.

That's right. I don't know everything. (Don't tell my boyfriend - he calls me Mary Google). But when I don't know something, I look it up. Using the actual Google. Cuz that's how you learn. And impress your boyfriend the next time you have a conversation about football, making him think you know everything, at least about sports, and sometimes to some guys, that's as good as actually knowing about everything... :)

Dra-ma! The AL wild card race comes down to the wire...

2011-09-26T23:14:00.001-04:00

When I checked the scores earlier this evening, Boston was leading the Baltimore Orioles and the Yankees were on top of the Tampa Bay Rays. Second verse, switch and reverse...just checked the games' final scores and guess what, folks? We have a tie in the wild card race with two games to go.

The Red Sox can't even buy a win at this point. I can't remember the last time I saw a team in such a stomach-turning freefall...the thing is, I can't root for the Rays at this point, either. Because the Rays between the Yankees today, which means if they make it to the post season, they can beat them then, too (although the Rays may have been playing the Yankee second string today...)

In any case, that's the thing about sports in general, and baseball in particular, with so many games in a season - it ain't over till it's over. There are always surprises, twists and turns, right up until the very end...
it's just like a night time soap. It's like "Desperate Housewives" except with bats and rivalries...which, to be fair, might be EXACTLY like "Desperate Housewives"....

Blast from the past - The road to victory, World Series 1998

2011-09-26T18:37:00.000-04:00

As this 2011 regular season winds down and the Yankees are once again in the playoffs, I decided to go through some of the old newspaper articles I'd saved from Yankee postseason victories past. When I went away to college in 1997, I was excited about being away from home but I guess I was a little homesick, too, but it was around that time that the Yankees began making it to the postseason every year, which meant that even in Washington, DC, if it was October, I got to watch a team from home. That was when the love affair began, and 14 years later, it is my longest relationship to date. Here is a look back at some of the coverage from the 1998 World Series against the San Diego Padres:

From the Sept. 7, 1998 issue of Newsday - I had this hanging on my dorm room wall at college :)

From the Oct. 18, 1998 issue of Newsday

From the Oct. 22, 1998 issue of Newsday

I should mention here that winning 125 games in an MLB season is pretty much unheard of. Very few teams will hit 100 wins in a season. At this moment, with only about 2-3 games to go in this season, the Yankees are only at 97 wins - the Philadelphia Phillies have the most, with 99. So that 1998 season was pretty amazing. (And for the record, that 125 game record includes the postseason - the team won 114 games during the regular season that year - still, nothing to turn your nose up at. The record for most wins during the regular season is held by both the 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 2001 Seattle Mariners at 116 apiece, but neither team went on to win the World Series in their respective years...

In honor of the upcoming MLB play-offs, a continuation of MLB videos featuring Guys We Love

2011-09-23T02:30:00.000-04:00

So, it's sad that there are no more New Era commercials featuring the comedy duo of Krasinski & Baldwin. ::tear::

However, I was watching a show on TBS this past week and while I don't normally watch commercials, this one caught my eye. I didn't even realize it was an MLB playoffs commercial at first but seriously? I will stop fast-forwarding Every. Single. Time. for Jason Bateman. Kudos to whoever at Major League Baseball or TBS came up with this campaign...kudos.

MLB on TBS Postseason Image Campaign feat. Jason Bateman "Tight Spaces" from Turner Sports on Vimeo.

Not as funny as the rest, but I still love me some Krasinski & Baldwin

2011-09-22T19:22:00.000-04:00

Gosh, I really wish they were a comedy duo that went by that name. I would watch everything they did...

Anywho, here's the final installment of John Krasinski and Alec Baldwin's Red Sox-Yankees rivalry commercials for New Era. I didn't heart it as much as the others, but I'll take it nonetheless...

Aaand the Yankees are in the playoffs...but there's still drama a'plenty

2011-09-21T18:17:00.000-04:00

No drama for the Yanks, though - the Bronx Bombers clinched a playoff spot this afternoon with a come-from-behind win (insert inappropriate but funny gay joke here) to beat the Tampa Bay Rays.

There is still a little over a week to play in the regular season, though, and the drama is whether the Boston Red Sox can hold on to their 2-game lead over the Rays to eke their way into the postseason as the wild card. The boyfriend made an interesting point the other night - that given the New York-Boston rivalry, couldn't Joe Girardi give the Rays a leg up by letting them win a game or two during this series in order to catch up to, and possibly eventually pass, Boston? Boy, I would love to see the BoSox completely collapse. But the boyfriend also had yet another good point, that Yanks-Red Sox rivalry aside, the Rays are a pretty good team (and if you're looking for young, hot, and pretty decent on the field baseball players, look no further than Evan Longoria) and it would suck if the Yanks helped them crush the Red Sox in the regular season only to be crushed by the Rays in the postseason.

So...the drama remains, which is kind of cool because at this point in the season, pretty much every postseason berth is basically decided, which renders most of these games completely meaningless. A team that's out can only hope to help or spoil the chances of another team, if that team has any other team nipping on its heels. Like Boston and the Rays. So if you're watching baseball at all this week, check out a game being played by either of those teams, because those are the games that still have something on the line...but me, I'll just be sitting back enjoying yet another Yankees September! :)

PS Congrats to Mo Rivera for finally getting the numbers to back up what everyone in the whole universe already knows - that he's the best closer in baseball, EVER. He got save 602 earlier this week, but since I spent three straight days sleeping off a fever, I didn't get to comment until now. Better late than never!

Rant of the day: Why is this considered sports news???

2011-09-14T12:22:00.002-04:00

Today on MSNBC.com, one of their top 8 sports section headlines is "Cameron Diaz, Alex Rodriguez split."

Really? *That's* one of the top sports stories of the day??

Maybe it's because I'm just not girly in the way of caring which celebrity or athlete is dating which other celebrity or athlete in any which way or form. (I know, I know, it's almost sacrilegious, but if people don't care enough about my relationship with my boyfriend for it to make headlines, I don't really see why I should care about anyone else's! :) ...)

Or maybe it's just cuz I'm not a huge fan of either Cameron Diaz (except for when she was in There's Something About Mary) or A-Rod (except for when he doesn't choke in a high pressure situation on the field). See, because I was actually kind of excited when Nick Swisher and JoAnna Garcia got together and got married - they both just seem so nice and sweet and adorable! (I am determined to make my fairweather Yankee fan boyfriend Swisher's new Number One Fan, but that's a post for another day).

The point is, put A-Rod's personal life in the entertainment section, unless the news is that he and Cameron Diaz broke up while he got an RBI on a base hit with two strikes and two outs, because *that* would be sports-newsworthy!

:)

You win some, you lose some: NFL Week 1

2011-09-12T16:05:00.000-04:00

Although the NFL season officially started on Thursday with the high-scoring Saints v. Packers game (looovve Aaron Rodgers!), yesterday was when most of the Week One games happened, and I had an appropriately football-centric Sunday, albeit without wearing one of my Manning jerseys... :(

Oh well. I bill myself a New York Giants fan, but with a father and brother who are HUGE Jets fans and my hometown represented on Gang Green by D'Brickashaw Ferguson, my team loyalty is much more fluid for football than it is for baseball. I'm going to buy a Jets jersey. I just have to decide which player to get.

Anyway, yesterday the boyfriend and I watched both games - Sundays in the fall can get completely sucked up if you really invest in watching more than one game, but the key to not having it be a total waste of a weekend day is to watch it in a social setting - hang out with your friends, go to a bar, spend that time with other people. It's so much more fun! Like I said, I bill myself a Giants fan, but this girl thoroughly enjoyed the Jets' season opener so much more. Much of that had to do with the fact that the Giants lost. To the Redskins. Bleh. And the way they were playing, they deserved to lose. (I sound like my mother when I say things like that, but it's true.) Part of it probably had to do with the fact that we missed at least half the game since we watched it at a friend's house with three shrieking, high energy girls under the age of three and a licking-crazy dog running around. They all loved me, of course, and they were super adorable, but nonetheless distracting.

So there was that. For the Jets game, though, the boyfriend and I transitioned to Hooters. (Yes, unfortunately, every now and then I go to Hooters.) They had great tvs in every corner, and a really amped up crowd of both Jets and Cowboys fans. That game also seemed like it was going to be a wash, and while we hate losing, New York football fans REALLY hate to lose to Dallas. The nailbiting fourth quarter definitely made up for the first three that almost had me lamenting two New York losses in one week. (Plaxico Burress was totally kicking ass as a Jet, BTW!) And especially on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, it was nice to have a New York team win at home.

Of course, one game doesn't mean anything. A first game loss doesn't herald a terrible or lost season. But it sets the tone of a season, definitely, and its your first glimpse of whether a player has improved or gotten worse in the off season, how new teammates and coaches are meshing, and who's got the thirst for a championship. I'd been leaning toward getting a Mark Sanchez Jets jersey, but after his performance in yesterday's game reminded me of just how awesome he is (interception!), I'm totally back on board the Darrelle Revis jersey train...

It's going to be a fun season!

Tonight's Monday Night Football: New England v. Miami at 7 pm, Oakland v. Denver at 10:15 pm

Peyton Manning's 208-game starting streak to end

2011-09-07T13:50:00.000-04:00

I'm disappointed for him...I love Peyton Manning. I am a diehard New York fan but while two of my three Manning jerseys are Eli, the third one is Peyton...

From NBC Sports online:

Peyton Manning will not play Week 1 vs. Texans

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 7, 2011, 12:30 PM EDT
Getty ImagesFor the first time since Jim Harbaugh was the starter at the end of the 1997 season, the Indianapolis Colts will have a quarterback other than Peyton Manning at the helm when they open the season against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Manning has been ruled out for Week 1, Colts Vice Chairman Bill Polian said on ESPN Radio 1050 in New York today.
Sunday will mark the end of Manning’s streak of 208 consecutive starts, the second-longest such streak in NFL history. Peyton’s brother Eli Manning now has the longest active streak, with 103 consecutive starts, and Brett Favre’s all-time record of 297 is safe for many years to come.

The Colts will be a completely different team without Manning, and after nine straight years in the playoffs with Manning at the helm, it’s hard to see them even being competitive without him. Kerry Collins was signed in August when the Colts realized how serious Manning’s condition was, but Collins can’t have the whole offense down pat yet, and even if he did, Collins is no Manning.
There’s no word yet on when Manning might be ready to return, but it’s clear that it’s taking him a lot longer than expected to recover from offseason neck surgery.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/07/peyton-manning-will-not-play-week-1-vs-texans/

More Yanks vs. Red Sox, as enacted by Misters Alec Baldwin and John Krasinski

2011-09-02T02:00:00.000-04:00

(John, I still love you even though you root for Boston...)

A note from a concerned NHL non-fan

2011-09-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

I don't watch hockey, so I don't know any of these players, but what is up with all these young NHL players just up and dying? You know it's weird when it grabs the attention of an NHL non-fan...third one this summer! :(

Former NHL Enforcer Belak Found Dead in Toronto

Speaking of sports fanatic videos I love...

2011-09-01T02:00:00.003-04:00

...was I? Well, I am now. And now, I'll just show you, since appropriately enough, we're in the midst of a Yanks-Red Sox series. Because I might fast forward through commercials like it will literally kill me if I stop, I will watch these every. Single. Time. It reaffirms my love for Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski, great writing, and above all, being a Yankee fan...

:)

Just call me Miss Tiger Woods - embarking on a golf adventure

2011-09-01T02:00:00.000-04:00

You're looking for the word "mini" up there in the post title, aren't you? Yes, it has been said that I'm fairly good on the miniature golf course. I can putt wearing only one contact in my eye and still make a hole in one. Windmills and waterfalls ain't got nothin' on me.

But now it's time for the big leagues.

Golf, as a spectator sport, has never seemed anything but dull, dull, dull. When my grandfather would have it on the television in his house, my cousins and I would all run away...until he left the room, and then we'd put on The Simpsons.

But golf as a hobby, golf as a sport, has recently begun to intrigue me. There is no running around from one end of a court or field to the other. There is no tackling or sliding or any other kind of physical contact with others. Golf is physical, yes, what with the walking and the swinging and whatnot, but it is a gentlemen's sport, a ladies' sport.

It's a sport in which I can wear a really cute outfit. Something with argyle. And probably pink.

And so it was with those thoughts in my head that I oohed and aahed over golf clubs - pink, of course - in a Dick's Sporting Goods store recently and the boyfriend took note and bought them for me last week for my birthday.

I love him so much.

I haven't used them yet, but being the good boyfriend that he is, he's going to take me to a driving range one of these days so I can give those bad boys a whirl. I think I'll be good at the whole driving thing. I have a lot of pent up frustration and anger. This could be good, clean, therapeutic fun.

Now all I need are some pink argyle knee socks and a hat with a pom pom and I'm good to go.

:)

Getting my Joe Mauer fix of the day

2011-08-31T23:21:00.000-04:00

OMG. Since we got our DVR, I don't watch commercials anymore, unless it's for a show I watch or it's something really, really, REALLY entertaining, but I was watching the Royal Pains summer finale tonight and I had to stop and rewind during one of the commercial breaks. It's not new - it's been around for awhile - but I just love, love, love this commercial. I'll give you three guesses why, and the first two are wrong. ;)

Confessions of a lazy Yankee fan

2011-08-31T19:41:00.001-04:00

The Yankees are playing Boston this week. Yesterday CC Sabathia won his first game against the Red Sox this whole season. New York is showing Fenway, once again, how it's done.

And I'm not watching it.

I've been a terrible baseball fan this year. I've been caught up in other things - work, hobbies, friends, boyfriend - and I've barely watched a game or listened to a game all season. Sometimes I catch an inning or two on the car radio when the boyfriend picks me up when we hang out. And I'm always making fun of him for being a fairweather fan. But he's right when he says I'm a worst Yankee fan than he is. At least this year anyway. Although I did make it to a game at Yankee Stadium a few weeks ago when New York played the Angels. And they even won, so that was fun. But tomorrow September will be here and I don't have a clue who is even in the running for playoff spots. All I know is that New York and Boston are, and the Twins are not.

When I haven't even been following Joe Mauer, you know it's bad.

So this is my apology to major league baseball, and all the Yankee players who don't have a clue who I am and have no idea whether I follow them or not, and I resolve, now that fall is here, to be a much more attentive, active, and engaged fan...of football.

:)

From Newsday.com: Pettitte: "Heart not where it needs to be"

2011-02-05T12:46:00.002-05:00

I am so disappointed by Andy Pettitte's retirement. In case you didn't know, Pettitte has always been one of my favorite Yankees, so much so that I followed him even when he went to the Astros for a few years. He was one of the original players who got me watching baseball back in 1997 - I came because I thought he was cute and I stayed because I loved watching him play.

It's the beginning of the end of an era - he, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada are the Core Four, the four players who have been around since the awesome Yankee run of championships in the late '90s, all still around to win another championship in 2009. I can't fault him. He's 38, which is practically ancient in the sports world. He's still a reliable pitcher for the most part but he's not as good as he used to be, and how sad is it to watch a once-great player stay around too long, only to fade and disappear with a whimper? (::cough:: Brett Favre ::cough::) But it just hits home that all the Core Four are in their late 30s now. I don't know a Yankee team without Mo or Derek Jeter. I don't know what I'm going to do when they retire. I mean, I have my rising stars and new, younger good players that I love - Mark Texeira, Brett Gardner, Robinson Cano - but I think when the others leave, especially Jeter, I'm going to be a little lost.

My only consolation is that at least, on tv and in person at the stadium, I got to watch them play.

By ANTHONY RIEBER

Andy Pettitte answered the big question early at his retirement press conference at Yankee Stadium on Friday: Why did he decide to quit at age 38?

Simple: He just didn't feel like he had the desire to continue playing even though two weeks ago he had told his wife Laura he was going to come back.

"Two weeks ago, I told her I was playing," Pettitte said. "I said, 'I'm just going to play.' I mean, I can torture myself, I'll get through it, have an opportunity to win another championship maybe. Obviously, have an opportunity to make a lot of money, obviously anybody who has followed me knows that's not anything that drives me."

But, Pettitte said, he just felt like he didn't have the desire to play and to leave his family for spring training. So the lefthander decided to hang up his spikes after a 240-win career, most of it with the Yankees.

"The drive that I felt like I had, the desire to compete like I feel like I want to compete [I didn't have]," he said. "And then also when I thought about packing my bags and leaving, just didn't feel right in my stomach. That's just what it was."

Pettitte said he told Yankees general manager Brian Cashman on Jan. 9, " 'I'll seriously start considering this.' That was the point. I started working about right around Christmas.

"Laura actually around that time when I talked to Cash said, 'Why don't you see and make sure that you're done and you don't want to do this no more?' And so when she tells me that, I have to seriously start considering it. I started training extremely hard then to see if I could get my body in shape. I can put myself here - even though I'm still in Texas - I know exactly what it feels like to be here and it just didn't feel right for me anymore. I didn't have the hunger, the drive that I felt like I needed. I don't know how to explain it, but I just knew that it was different."

Pettitte said his arm feels great. But the groin injury that cost him two months last season and hampered him in the playoffs took a long time to heal. And, more importantly, he did not rehab the injury after the season like he would have if he were planning to play.

Pettitte leaves the Yankees with a gaping hole in their rotation. But he told them not to count on him. Now they know why.

"This was not an easy decision for me," Pettitte said. "I feel like it kind of was an easy decision, but it wasn't an easy decision ... When I left Arlington stadium at the end of last season, I felt like I was done. Some of the teammates I spoke with towards the end of the season knew that I was probably heading in that direction. Over the course of this offseason, just felt like I should maybe make sure that I'm done and try to get ready. I'm ready. I'm ready to go pitch in spring training right now if I had to. My arm feels great. My body feels great. I've been working out extremely hard for about the last three and a half weeks. I know that my body would get where it needs to be, but my heart's not where it needs to be."

Laura Pettitte, who sat next to her husband on the podium, said, "Gosh, he had a really hard time making this decision final."

Pettitte also touched on some other topics during the lengthy press conference:

-- On whether he might change his mind: "I've been thinking about that too. I believe I'm done. I can promise you I would not be doing what I'm doing right now if I didn't think I was done. And I don't know what I'm going to feel like two months from now, three months from now. I can tell you one thing: I am not going to play this season. I can tell you that 100 percent. But I guess you can never say never. I don't think I would literally be scared if I went through this whole season and I just had a hurt in my stomach saying I just wanted to pitch that maybe I wouldn't try it again, but I will not pitch this season. I can assure you of that. And I do not plan on pitching again. I think me pitching every fifth day is over and I am looking forward to this next chapter in my life and figuring out what that is."

-- On whether the Roger Clemens trial and the likelihood he will have to testify in it during the season had any impact on his decision: "That has not any effect on my decision - zero."

-- On the Hall of Fame: "I've never considered myself a Hall of Famer. I feel honored that people are talking about it. Never dreamed that I would be talked about as far as the Hall of Fame."

-- On whether the Yankees getting or not getting Cliff Lee affected him: "I don't think it would have mattered ... There's no doubt when they didn't get him, I felt a huge obligation. That was why I started working out ... I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to come back after they didn't get him."

-- On the other members of the "Core Four" (Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera): "I called them and told them before it was announced. I wanted them to hear it from me. I don't think they were shocked."

-- On Yankees fans: "There's nothing better than just being embraced. They've embraced me. It's just been special."

Pettitte finishes his career 240-138 with a 3.88 ERA in 16 seasons - 13 with the Yankees - and likely will be remembered for his performances when the pressure was most intense. He went 19-10 in the postseason, winning all three series-clinching games in the Yankees' run to the 2009 World Series title. His 19 postseason wins in a major-league record.

Ways you can tell whether you're at a boys' Super Bowl party or a girls' one

2011-02-04T12:13:00.000-05:00

1. Heroes, wings, chips, and beer are standard fare at a Super Bowl party thrown by men. Women may have those things too but will try to class it up with wine and maybe a cheese fondue.

2. The theme of a male-organized Super Bowl party will be "football." A woman will change the theme of her party depending on who is in the game - last year, my best friend threw a Mardi Gras-themed Super Bowl party in honor of the Saints. This year, because of the Packers, the theme will be "cheese." See reference to fondue in first point.

3. Many of the invitees to a boy's Super Bowl party will be there to watch the game. Many of the invitees to a girl's Super Bowl party will be there to watch the commercials.

4. A Super Bowl party thrown by a guy will be punctuated by discussion on the merits and missteps of the various plays being made by both teams. A Super Bowl party thrown by a girl will be punctuated by a breakdown and explanation of the various plays being made by both teams.

5. A boy's Super Bowl party will feature commentary on which player has the best skills in the game. A girl's Super Bowl party will feature commentary on which player has the best ass in the game.

Whether you go to a boy's or a girl's Super Bowl party this year, have a great time! Boo Steelers! Go Packers! :)

The Super Bowl will be on Fox this Sunday, Feb. 6, at 6:30 p.m.

After terrible first half, UConn achieves perfection ... again - Richard Deitsch - SI.com

2010-04-07T14:25:00.000-04:00

After terrible first half, UConn achieves perfection ... again - Richard Deitsch - SI.com

I don't watch college basketball, but let's give our female athletes mad props where it's due...you go, girls! :)

FOXNews.com - We need more like Mauer

2010-03-24T16:24:00.002-04:00

FOXNews.com - We need more like Mauer

Posted using ShareThis

Just my own two cents: There had been talk that Joe Mauer would become a free agent and most likely be snatched up by the New York Yankees. Oddly enough, the thought of my favorite ball player and my favorite ball team joining up did not make me happy. Joe Mauer is Minnesota. He was born and raised in Minnesota. He's always been a Twin. He should probably always be a Twin. He's a hometown boy. To me, Joe Mauer is to the Twins what Derek Jeter is to the Yankees and the fact that Joe is staying with his team for the next eight or so years, even though that means he's not coming here to me, just makes me love him all the more. :)

Hi, my name is Mary and I'm addicted to curling...

2010-03-01T20:24:00.000-05:00

...ok, that's an exaggeration, but now that the Olympics are over, I'll admit to the fact that I wasted an entire afternoon Saturday watching the men's curling bronze medal game.

I'm not quite sure how curling qualifies as a sport. And before Saturday, I was quick to make fun of the "sport" and the sweep!sweep!sweep!sweeping that goes along with it.

Now? I still make fun of it. The guys looked like they were wearing black patent leather dress shoes on the ice. They were sweep!sweep!sweeping!

But I watched the whole game. Mostly it was because the entire Swedish team was full of adorable 24 year old pretty boys. And the Swiss had their own cutie. We all know that good looking men is how I get hooked into any sport whose rules I don't understand.

But the sad and scary thing is - now I can tell you that each play period in curling is called an end. And instead of "speed," they call it "weight," the weight of the stone (or rock, depending on where you're from). The ice is called the sheet. I know that curling began in Scotland. I went onto wikipedia to find out how a game is scored so I wasn't just watching cute boys in dress shoes sweep!sweep!sweep! the ice like an idiot. I stopped short at trying to figure out the strategy. I still don't see how it's a sport. But once I started watching, I couldn't stop. I now know more about curling than I ever thought or hoped I would.

On a side note, my friend J who lives in Vancouver had passes to some of the events. Including ...everybody say it together ... curling!

I can't get away from it.

Thank god the Olympics are finally over.

Tiger Woods: Blah, blah, blah

2010-02-19T11:30:00.000-05:00

Today Tiger Woods made a statement to the press and apologized publicly to certain people about his extramarital affairs. At least that's what I assume the announcement that he was going to speak today and all these stories about him are about, because really, why do I care?

What do any of us care? Tiger made some really stupid mistakes. All superstars do. All people do. Does it make me like him less as a person? I guess. Does it affect how I feel about him as a golfer? Not really. Am I excusing his behavior? No. Is it any of my business? Not in the least.

The only people Tiger owes any explanation or apology to are his wife and kids, and maybe the people in charge of pro golf and the companies he had endorsements with. And those are the only people who should care about getting an explanation and/or an apology.

We're turning into a privacy-free society. Between social networking sites on the internet and the reality tv crazy and the paparazzi obsession, everyone's so eager to open their lives up to everyone else that we think it's a given that we get to be a part of/watch every little facet of everyone's life.

I couldn't care less how Tiger Woods gets his jollies, just as I'm sure he couldn't care less how I get mine, and that's how it should be. People who are that invested in other people's lives need to get lives of their own.

Here endeth the rant.

FOXNews.com - American Lysacek Wins Skating Gold in Upset

2010-02-19T09:13:00.000-05:00

FOXNews.com - American Lysacek Wins Skating Gold in Upset

Posted using ShareThis

So, while sometimes it's frickin' awesome when the frontrunner actually lives up to the hype and comes out on top - I'm thinking of Michael Phelps winning every gold in every race or even Shaun White or Lindsey Vonn just this week - sometimes the excitement is in the underdog coming out on top or in the upset. In 1998, Michelle Kwan was the favorite to win gold in women's figure skating and Tara Lipinski was the spunky 15 year old who was already living the dream just by being there. But by the end of their routines, even though I had been rooting for Michelle initially, I knew Tara had won and boy, did she deserve it, if it was an obvious upset to even a skating idiot like myself.

I think I especially love when during the routine they start to get more into it because they know they're nailing it and when they show all that emotion at the end because they know what they just did. So anyway, congrats to Lysacek for being the first American to win gold in men's figure skating since Brian Boitano back in '88, and for keeping the dream alive for underdogs everywhere.

Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White lead U.S. to six medal day at Winter Olympics - Brian Cazeneuve - SI.com

2010-02-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

Speaking of how Shaun White will represent...

Lindsey Vonn, White lead U.S. to six medal day at Winter Olympics - Brian Cazeneuve - SI.com

Congrats to all of yesterday's medal winners...

You go, girl (and other Olympic victories)

2010-02-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Lindsey Vonn lived up to the hype and took gold in the women's downhill skiing competition today. Read about it here:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=424774.html#american+women+good

U.S. hockey has also been doing well and some familiar names from Olympics past - Shani Davis, Apolo Ohno, Bode Miller. Still waiting to see what Shaun White can do.

Day 5 of the Olympics - interesting article at MSNBC.com about the American team

2010-02-16T09:10:00.000-05:00

"Signs Point to Success"

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=421257.html#early+signs+point+u+s+success

Winter Olympics 2010 Vancouver, tonight. Where females actually get to rock as athletes, not just cheer for them...

2010-02-12T10:43:00.001-05:00

Ok, so first, my Peyton obviously didn't win the Super Bowl. As a Peyton fan, not a Colts fan, I wasn't heartbroken. And I like the Saints, especially quarterback Drew Brees. Plus, I'm a sucker for heartwarming stories, like this Super Bowl win uplifting the spirits of a city (which I also love) still dealing with the ramifications of Katrina. So, congrats to New Orleans and the Saints...

On to newer sports news...

The Winter Olympics are finally here. Yes, I know Serena and Venus kick ass in tennis. Danica Patrick gives the boys a run for their money in car racing. And we have a professional womens' basketball league. Do I watch any of them? No. But I do love watching women compete in the Olympics (yes, even the winter ones), and I know a lot of other people who don't typically watch sports in general or womens' sports in particular do, too, so that kinda rocks.

But also just for the sports in general - where else can you cheer for men wearing tights and twirling on skates? Or watch competitive snowboarding? The sports in the Olympics can be spectacular, elegant, fun, and funky.

Except for curling. How is that a sport? I really don't get it. I have Canadian friends (in Vancouver, actually...) ... I really gotta get them to explain it to me.

So anyway, next ten days, lots of fun...Shaun White, Apolo Anton Ohno, Lindsay Vonn (if her injuries don't end up sidelining her) are just some of the Americans to watch...but tonight is the opening ceremony on NBC at 7:30 p.m. EST. Be there!

Are you ready for some football???

2010-02-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

It's Super Bowl time, bitches!

Sorry, I'm a little excited. None of my New York teams made it, but my secret NFL boyfriend, Peyton Manning, will be leading the Indianapolis Colts against the New Orleans Saints. I just found out yesterday that I will be the only one at the Super Bowl party I am going to rooting for the Colts, but that's okay. Me and my Peyton jersey will be representing!

6:25 pm on CBS. Even if you don't like football, watch it for the commercials...if ads were always as entertaining as the ones they show during this game, I would never fast forward through them!

Enjoy the game!

J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!

2010-01-24T13:49:00.002-05:00

Ok, so today is the final round of playoffs before the Super Bowl in 2 weeks. I keep wanting to say that against all odds, the New York Jets are still in it, but really, it's not against all odds. How often do the number 1 seeds from the NFC and AFC ever play each other in the Super Bowl? I think, all things considered, once you get past the wild card round, every team has a fair and somewhat even shot at getting to the next round. A playoff team ranked a lower seed beating another playoff team of a higher seed is never an upset in that the one does not deserve to move to the next round - they're both playoff teams. Teams may go in favored or as underdogs, but really, in any sport, once the regular season ends and the playoffs begin, every team starts over from square one. And even though last weekend the Jets were the only "upset" what with every other game the higher seed moved on, really, what would the playoffs be without a good Cinderella story? Without the little engine that could? Without the possibility of David beating Goliath?

Now, I will admit that today's Colts-Jets matchup is going to be a bittersweet game for me because I have strong New York loyalties, but I love Peyton Manning. So whatever the outcome, I win. And I lose. I'm hoping there's a way both teams can move on to the Super Bowl, but I'm not sure what the chances are of that. I'm thinking my New York loyalties win out though, and while a Saints-Colts Super Bowl would've been awesome if both teams had lived up to the early season hype of their respective 10-0 starts and, if not both gone perfect throughout the season but had ended on high notes, but since the season has played out the way it has, I think right now I'm rooting for a Vikings-Jets Super Bowl.

Watching the Colts v. Raven and just discovered...

2010-01-16T22:51:00.003-05:00

...that David Tyree is a Raven. Personally, I'm rooting for the Colts, since Peyton Manning is my NFL boyfriend (love him, love him, LOVE HIM). But David Tyree just made a tackle on a punt reception by the Colts. That name may mean nothing to many people, but that name will forever be etched in my mind as being one half of what is arguably the most awesome NFL play/ professional sports play EVER, as seen below...

Aww, the fact that the Ravens picked him up make me fall in love with them a little more...but I'm really rooting for the Colts to take it all (don't tell the Jets that!), so I'll just have to remember to keep an eye on Joe Flacco (adorable!), Tyree, and the Ravens next season...

David, whatever happens with the rest of your career, know that you will be loved and remembered by Giants fans everywhere for the rest of their lives!!!

Mark McGwire steroids confession: Will it be enough?

2010-01-13T23:35:00.002-05:00

What??? Mark McGwire used steroids??? That is BRAND NEW INFORMATION to everyone!!!

Mark McGwire steroids confession: Will it be enough?

Posted using ShareThis

And this is only two months late, but...Yankee championship parade

2010-01-13T19:56:00.015-05:00

As fortune would have it, my brother was in town and I was off from work the day the Yankees held their championship parade in Gotham's Canyon of Heroes. To say it was a crowded, wall-to-wall, mob scene is, quite frankly, an understatement, but the baseball gods must've been aware that, dressed head to toe in Yankee gear, I was a true fan, and my brother and I, originally on the wrong side of the barricade a block away from the parade, actually got spots close enough that not only did we have a perfect view of the big screen tv showing the parade but I actually got to see some of my heroes in person as well.

I hate crowds, more than anything, and I almost got trampled by a crushing wave of people at one point, but I love the Yankees more than I hate crowds, and the parade was frickin' awesome.

A few highlights...

City Hall amid a downpour of tickertape

World Series MVP Hideki Matsui

Jay-Z, Francisco Cervelli, and A-Rod

Oh look, it's the back of A-Rod's head (in the hat, to the far left of the float) as he passes by!

CC Sabathia and Mark Texeira

Nick Swisher - looking almost excited as I was - with his mohawk

Jerry Hairston Jr.

Oh yeah, that is totally Johnny Damon on the far right of this photo!

Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter's dad, and Derek Jeter (my bro was disappointed to realize that his crush, Minka Kelly, who is dating my crush Jeter, was also on the float but neither of us saw her...)

Hip, hip, Jorge!...

Mary's never been happier (or dorkier, apparently) in her life...

I think the picture says it all...

2010-01-13T19:47:00.002-05:00

Taken at the beer distributor up the block from my house yesterday.

Jets at Chargers, Sunday night - watch it! Root for the underdog! Let's go Jets!

Let's go, Jets!

2010-01-09T23:01:00.003-05:00

Ok, so congrats to the Jets for being the little engine that could and beating the Bengals this week...would love to see another New York team take it all after the Yankees this past fall, but secretly I'm rooting for Peyton Manning and the Colts...still, the best thing is coming into the playoffs with no expectations and no pressure like the Jets did and making it past the first round, so go Green...you've already earned all our respect, I think...

...and while we're congratulating the Jets, congrats to D'Brickashaw Ferguson for being named a starter in this year's Pro Bowl...unlike Flava Flav, you're doing Freeport proud :)

Sports Illustrated names Derek Jeter 2009 SI Sportsman of Year - 2009 Sportsman of the Year - SI.com

2009-12-01T23:25:00.000-05:00

Sports Illustrated names Derek Jeter 2009 SI Sportsman of Year - 2009 Sportsman of the Year - SI.com

Twins' Mauer near-unanimous pick as AL's MVP

2009-11-23T16:18:00.004-05:00

Twins' Mauer near-unanimous pick as AL's MVP

Posted using ShareThis

Congratulations to Mauer on his well deserved win...this kid is amazing. I <3 him so much! :)

Mariano Rivera, Mr. Sandman?

2009-11-05T00:36:00.003-05:00

According to my dad, the Yankee closer should consider changing his entrance music.

When Mo came out of the bullpen in the eighth inning tonight, I crowed, "Enter Sandman!" My dad looked at me weirdly, so I explained: "That's the song that's playing. Enter Sandman. You know, cuz he's lights out?"

If you've never heard it, this is it:

It's awesome. It totally pumps you up for the closer.

Anyway, my dad goes, "Enter Sandman? I know that song." And then proceeded to sing this:

Yeah. I kid you not.

While I can pretty much guarantee Rivera would be the only closer in baseball with that theme music, Mr. Sandman is striking fear in the hearts of no one.

Mr. Sandman? It's just Sandman to you.... :)

Yankees back on top...I love this game!

2009-11-04T23:54:00.004-05:00

The Yanks just won their 27th World Series championship! I don't think I have to tell you that I am beyond psyched, that this was the perfect ending to what was a fantastic season. I have more to say about the Series and this game, but for tonight let me just say:

*congrats to those guys who came to the Yankees to win a championship this past decade and finally made it

*congrats to the core four who waited 9 years to be on top again (and add to that Joe Girardi, who won a couple of rings as catcher and now has his first as manager)

*congrats to the new guard, those young players who the Yankees have finally put their faith in who will hopefully carry on the legacy in the coming years once the core four are gone...

*it's nice that there's a bridge of players from the old days to now, that it's been long enough since their last championship that most of the players are new, but not long enough that it's a completely different team from the dynasty of the 1990s.

*the Phillies put up a good fight (though tonight it kinda felt like they gave up...even if it's just a little bit, it can do you in), but you took the Series to six and it was the first time in years I felt the two teams were well matched (as well as both deserving of being in the Series)...

*and a special congrats to Chase Utley (yes, a Philly!) for his powerful offense and contributions to how well the Phillies played. They named a lot of stats and records he tied and most of them were stupid and meaningless, but he tied Reggie Jackson for hitting 5 homers in a Series and he should be proud that he gave the Phillies a chance.

*and also to Philly pitcher Cliff Lee, who completely dominated on the mound and was by far the best pitcher, out of both teams, in this series. You also gave your team a fighting chance. It's just too bad they didn't clone ya.

It's midnight, so good night for now!

Bottom of the 5th, Yanks up 7-1

2009-11-04T22:00:00.002-05:00

Just a thought as the Yankees are beating up on the Phils (knocked Pedro out in the 4th - why aren't their starters starting to warm up in the bullpen yet? This game is do-or-die for the Phils...), and I hate to pick on the current Philly pitcher, J. A. Happ, because he is quite adorable, but if your initials are J and A, and you want to be known as "Jay," then why not just use the J? No where in the English language does "J. A." spell "Jay." (Yes, J. A. Happ pronounces his name Jay Happ...) Does he not like the way J. Happ looks? Cuz I think it looks kinda snazzy. But no, first of all, when you insist on pronouncing "J. A." as Jay, nobody will ever pronounce your name right - not announcers in other ballparks, not fans of other teams at home, not the morons commenting on the game on tv. "J. A." can be pronounced Ja. Stupid. Or Ya if you're German (yes). Or Ha if you're Spanish. Which might be the most appropriate, cuz it is kinda funny...

I love that the Yanks are winning, especially behind Pettitte, but I kinda wish the Phils would put up a fight...

World Series, Game 6 - Pettitte v. Martinez

2009-11-04T18:28:00.003-05:00

This is a showdown I love, between two old warhorses. I expected Philly to win behind Cliff Lee yet again Monday night, and it's been great to see these teams, for the most part, evenly matched, but as a Yankee fan I feel good about tonight...we're back home, we have veteran Pettitte on the mound - love him! - and even if Pedro's on his game, which he sometimes is, all we hafta do is be patient, work the count, get him to 100 pitches, and get to the bullpen. Most pitchers nowadays are on pitch counts but Pedro is the only pitcher I've ever seen break down like clockwork at 100 pitches. Without fail. Every. Single. Time. It's pretty effing cold out. As awesome and electric as the atmosphere at the Stadium will be tonight, I'm glad I'll be watching from the warmth of my living room.

Being here actually still feels so surreal. As a Yankee fan, I got so used to winning World Series, and then just being in the World Series, and then not being in the World Series. It feels weird to be back. And exciting. My Yanks of the last five years did not deserve to be here. But this team does. And they deserve to win it too. But whether they win tonight or win tomorrow, it should be exciting.

Phils have to win tonight to force a Game 7. If the Yanks win, they win.

1 1/2 hours till game time...can't wait!!

100 Days till Vancity

2009-11-04T18:24:00.003-05:00

Winter Olympics, Vancouver, on NBC.

What's your favorite winter Olympic sport? As a girl, I admit I kinda enjoy the ice skating. Anyone who can land those kinda jumps on ice skates is amazing...this from a girl who can't even stand up on skates (despite a skating class in which I was both the oldest and worst skater...anyway...). But any event where there's a charismatic athlete or compelling story - Dan Jansen? - or even a great name - Pecabo Street? Apolo Anton Ohno? - can draw my attention. Wonder what it'll be this year...

100 days! See ya then!

Split Series: Going back to Philly...

2009-10-30T13:45:00.003-04:00

The next game of the World Series takes place this All Hallow's Eve (Halloween. On Saturday). The Phils and Yanks find themselves tied with 1 win apiece. The next 3 games will be in Philly territory. Cliff Lee pitched a phenomenal gem Game 1. Mark Texeira found his swing in Game 2, at the same time that the brilliant A.J. Burnett showed up (you never know which Burnett you'll get). Who knows what Game 3 will have in store?

Watch it!

Found it!: Mac sends a love letter to Chase Utley

2009-10-28T15:19:00.004-04:00

Okay, in this clip, Dee is trying to figure out which Philly she's going to try to kiss when she runs out onto the field while Dennis and Charlie are distracting security by getting into a fight. Her first thought is Shane Victorino, here she thinks maybe Ryan Howard, but Mac tries to convince her it has to be Chase Utley, and there's a really good reason why, ha ha ha...

Mac Sends a Love Letter to Chase Utley @ Yahoo! Video

This is Chase Utley...can you blame Mac? :)

Baseball fan alert: World Series Game One tonight

2009-10-28T15:05:00.003-04:00

Game 1, Phillies v. Yanks at Yankee Stadium, 7:57 p.m. on Fox. It's possible there will be a rain delay as it's been torrential downpours here on Long Island all day but I heard the weather's supposed to clear by tonight, so I've got my fingers crossed.

There's a clip from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a show on FX, that I'm looking for because this past week's episode was called "The World Series Defense" and it takes place in 2008 when the Phillies were playing in the World Series (they're defending champions) and the gang is trying to get into the game. With the Phillies in the Series again, starting this week, this ep was perfectly timed. This show usually makes me laugh, but it had me totally cracking up, and though I'm a diehard Yankee fan as we all know, the gang as Phillies fans and all the Phillies jokes and even the Phillies love (gotta respect that - Rob McElhenney, the main co-creator behind the show, was born and raised in Philadelphia) was hilarious. There's one part in particular that I'm looking for. If I can find it, I'll post it. Meanwhile...

Watch the game!

Go Yanks!

The Mets Dilemma

2009-10-26T23:47:00.003-04:00

I think that should be the unofficial name of the 2009 World Series. Any self-respecting Mets fan cannot, in good faith, root for the Phillies. That would be like Obama rooting for Osama.

Well, probably not quite that serious. (Tell that to a Mets fan.)

At the same time, Mets fans pride themselves on being New Yorkers who don't root for the Yankees. The Yankees might not be their mortal enemy, but when it comes to the Yanks, there is no love lost.

So for Mets fans, the dilemma is who to root for. Do you boycott the Series altogether? Not an option if you're a true baseball fan? Do you hope the MLB suddenly changes the rules so that it's entirely possible that neither team could win? It's worth wishing for, I guess. But I implore all you Mets fans, as New Yorkers first and foremost, to let your New York pride lead your decision. For once, if even for just a moment, we can all be on the same team and root for the same team, at the top of our obnoxiously fabulous and awesome lungs that *New York* beats Philadelphia come this November.

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!!

And then there were two...

2009-10-26T15:19:00.001-04:00

Yankees won the AL pennant last night, beating the Angels 5-2, taking 4 out of six games. Wednesday the World Series will open at Yankee Stadium against the Phillies, a team I expect to put up much more of a fight than either the Angels or the Twins. The Twins were out of their league, lucky just to be a part of the postseason. The Angels, normally Yankee-killers, repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with a slew of errors. The Phillies, I think, will make the Yankees work to win it. And if it goes to seven games, I'll probably be about ready to have a heart attack, but the World Series is a snooze when one team is outmatched and gets swept in four. As long as my team comes out on top in the end, I'll take the exciting nailbiter instead.

Last night tho it was fitting that Andy Pettitte was the starting pitcher, Jorge Posada caught the game, and Mariano Rivera got the save. Those three, along with Derek Jeter, are the only current Yankees left from the 1996-2000 World Series-winning era...boys, lets show these newbies how it's done!!